Damping effect on transverse flow-induced vibration of a rotating circular cylinder and its implied energy harvesting performance

Flow-induced vibration (FIV) of bluff bodies has recently been considered as a potential source for renewable energy harvesting. This study presents a comprehensive experimental investigation of structural damping effects on the rotation-enhanced FIV response of an elastically mounted circular cylinder at moderate Reynolds numbers in a free stream. We find that the FIV of a rotating cylinder is associated with different harmonic fluid forcing components and wake modes than the non-rotating counterpart, despite a similar three-branch response. For implied energy harvesting we demonstrate a 33% increase in the peak power output compared to the non-rotating case in a range of rotation rates.